End connection for vehicle springs



eine.

LLISON F. H; SCOTT, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANE.

END CONNECTION FR VEHICLE SPRINGS.

Application eledrebruary ,4, 1925. semi No. esso.

This invention relates to. improved means for connecting the ends ofsprings to the chassis elements or frame foi vehicles.

` The object of the invention is to provide ineens so constructed that weer on the parts at hearing points of such connections is're# clucefl to e minimum thus to prolong their useful life; and further to provide `e connection which permits of the spring- Vflexingin all directions Without. transmitting the torsional stresses from the spfrings to the frame of the vehicle. This latter makes for greater comfort and improved riding qualities'or the vehicle to which the construction is spplied as' well as saving the :trame from the constant racking which it'. gets through theordinsry enti connections of supporting sprin gs Another object of the invention isto provide c. bearing which does sway with frequent lubrication end attention required by pin type spring suspension. Y

The housing ,cenbe mede oil tightfby prol vitling e geiten orhoot' mede from flexible material arranged with a tight fit around the spring leeves, the other end of Athe gsiter being attached t6`the ,flared end housing.

It is the usuel construction, especislly on motor vehicles, to connect the springs to the chassis in such a Way that one end is fastened by o. horizontal pin or hinge connection, while the opposite enti is similarly supported in a so-culled shackle to permit 1onclitudinel flexing of lthe shackle usually comprises parallel depending arms hinged at their upper ends to the side frame of the vehicle,.wliile their lower ends are connected by n pin to which the end of the springr is also secured. ln connections of this hind, the bearing surfaces are reltivel lsrge,require constant lubrication, and at est 4soon become Worn and rattle with every l)oit erger to which the vehicle 1s subjected. Furthermore, with this usuel type of connection. each torsional movement of the spring is transmitted, as e stress or strain., to thtl chassis or frame of the vehicle, with the result that there is n force exerted tending to twist or rack the freine whenever :my wheel of the vehicle rides over an obstruction or enters a depression in the rondwey. c

in the present invention, the enumerated disadvantages are overcome to a large exspring; Such tent, b providing connections which are in4 genera bell` bearings with only smell or very limited arcas of surface Contact to weer, sind Which permit of substantially universel .movement of the springs without such movement being transmitted to the vehicle frame. Further advanteges and the specific details of my invention will now be describeti in connection with the accompanying drawings which form apart of this specification', and in which* Eig. 1 is appears when connected to the axle and chassis Oie vehicle. lin this instance, the

illustration is of. the front enel of' e motor vehicle.

Fig. 2.is a sectional view of tlieend connection at, the `left vof Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig: 2; l I

A Fig. 4 is a. sectional view similar to that of Flg.' 2, illustrating-the manner of con meeting-two leaves of a spring intended for y use with heavier vehicles :where esingle leetf end would be insuicient to su port the load;

Fig. 5 shows c. slightly mo iiied' construe tion ofthe end connection of this invention;

Fig. Gien detail view illustrating one wey of shaping the end of the long, leef of s. spring to adapt it for use in the construction ofFig.5;" i

Fig. 6? shows an alternative way lof securing the ball .retaining means to the end of the' spring;

Fig. 7 is e, sectional elevation of the shackle end' connection shown et the right of the assembly of Fig. l;

e side elevation of spring es it Fig. 8 is a plan view -in part sectional on the line -8 of Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 is a. sectional view on the line 9l-9 of Fig. 7.

Referring now to Fig. l, the front end of` the sicle' frame of e vehicle is shown at and the leaf' spring 2, resting upon the axle structure 3, is connected at its opposite ecole to the frame of the vehicle in e manner to be now described. The connection et the left.

end o Fig. l; which will be clesignete nsa pivotal -connectionto distinguish it from the so-called shackle connection at the other end, is illustrated .in/detail in Fi?. 2. A casting. 4. secured byl riveting,k We cling or other means to the enti of the side frame l, forms a. terminal forf'this member and ie provided with a curving outer contour which conforms to and continues the contour line ot the's'ide trame. The casting 4, is cored out in u manner lo provide vertical and longitudinal openings intersecting at90. The horizontal opening shown at 5, is somewhat flared toward the outer end and in the direction of its' longitudinal in llorder that movements ot the spring, under chang.;n

ing,r loads, may take. place withoutthe spring contacting with the walls of the opening 1 n the casting in which the ond connectlon is mounted. The vertical opening in the casis not favored, since it is I preferred that the ball should rotate with respect to the 'bearing G, which is easily renewable when 'spring is` under load.

by tip-setting 'the metal ofthe leaf so that supporting shoulders 1U, are formed which engage the sphere 4below a median line and adord sutlicient support to resist shearing strains between the ball and leaf when the lt is obvious that other means of attaching could be used which would not only be capable of securing the ball in the leaf, but would also permit rotation of the ball with 'respect toA the leaff, Such Yfastening means, however,

worn.

From thelower side the ball 8, is engaged by a movable bearing member l1, which is cylindrical and arranged to slidev in the vertical 'opening' of the, casting 4.. The bearing 11like 6, is ofbronze or other suitable bearing metal and has a spherical depression or socket in its ball engaging surface and in which thebali 8, is seated.

Cil

The bearing 11, is a hollow, piston-like element, the skirt of which guides its vertical movements. It is yieldingly pressed into engagement with the ball 8, by a coil spring 12, which exerts an upward pressure of suiiicicnt degree on .the bearing: 11 so that the ball is always properly seated between the bearings 6 and 11., without there being;r any looseness or play between the contacting surfaces of thc connection. The lower end of the vertical opening is threaded internally to receive the cap nut 13, and the latter supports the spring 12, as well as providing means for adjusting its compression. A washer 14, and a spring locknut washer Vare shown interposed between the cap 13, and the lower ,end of thel cast- Leeaeee ing Ll. By removing the washer 14, the cap 1.3, can enter the cast-ing to a greater extent in order to adjust or to increase the compression of the spring;r to compensate for excessive wear of the bearings 6 and l1. It is understood, howeveijthat` any usual weary on the bearings is automatically taken care o1 by the spring 12.

In assembling the connection, the ball.

having been secured in the leaf, and the bottom bearing' 11', having been lowered as hy removingtho cap 13, the leaf end with the ball attached is inserted through the opening 5, until the ball 8, can be'seated in the bearing. (3.. when the lower bearing -1 l may be assembled. It will then be found that the ball is retained in a socket-like connection, which permits it-to revolve about4 any ot its axes, but restrains it, and through it the end of the spring, against4 a motion of translation with regard to the socket 4.

lullig. 4, the same construction is illustrated, except that the end of the leaf spring carrying the ball 8, is two-ply or comprises two superposed leaves which may be'necessary for larger and heavier vehicles.' Since, there should be provision for relative longi` 'tudinal movement between the vleaves of a compound spring of this kind, only one leaf 9, is secured to the ball 8, while thefkleaf 9', is provided at the ball with an opening which is somewhat greater in' dimension than the ball, so that as the spring structure fiexes, the leaf 9', can be slightly extended without interfering with the end connection. v

In F ig. 5, a modified construction of the pivotal end connection for springs is shown. Here the housing casting 4 is of the 'same Iconstruction vas described in connection with the preceding figures. The ball 8, however,

is secured ina spherical depression formed in the bent-over end 16, of the leaf 9. By makingz.- the upper leaf of the spring somewhat longer, the additional metal desirable for this construction is readily afforded, but a vseparate block of the dimensions of thep'art 16, could be secured to the end of the spring leatl 9, by welding or riveting to produce the same result, see Fig. 6a, in which a separate block 16 is shown .as riveted to spring 9 as at 25.01- weldcd around the edges as at 26, The lower bearing member 11, is outwardly convex, and preferably prescnts a spherical surface to the underside of l' thc loaf 9. As in thc construction of Figi'. 2. the lower bearing' is vieldingly andadjustahly supported. and functions to main'- tain assembly of the connection as well as to automatically compensate for wear. -As the spring,r flexcs in this construction, the ball S will turn about any one of its axes in the upper bearing (i, while the lower bearing may move vertically. making; only a point contactwith the underside of the lea9.

dii

'In Figs." 7, 8and9, there is shpwn the de- 'tdils' of the shackle connection which is illustrated at the right hand end of the as l sembl vie\v of Fig. l. The pur'ose of a 4shack e end connection, as is kiio n, is, 'to "permit of longitudinal tlexi-n of the spring while sustaining the load, an tonccomplish vlo this result, there must be provision for rela- Y tive longitudinal movement between tho spring and load which it supports. lfVhile the specific details of the shackle connection shown are made the subject of a' separate application conjointly filed, Ser'. No. 19,394-,

filed March 30, 1925, it is described herein for the purpose of a combination disclosure.

The casting 17, -is secured to the' chassis element 1, (see Fig. 1) by boltsior rivets, and this casting follows in a general way the design of casting 4. cored openings,'rmalring a substantially hollow construction, the horizontal opening 18,

/ being relatively long to take care of the longitudinal movement of the spring leaf 9 asy it iiexes under loading. In the upper side of the recess`18, there is .secured a .bearing member 19, grooved on its lower surface with a longitudinally extendinggroove conforming to the spherical surface of the ball '2.0.A A similarly| formed lower bearing member. 21, is secured to the upper surface of the v:leaf 9l of the spring as by spot-welding or riveting. This element is clearly shown in plan view in Fig. 8, with the groove for the all 20, extending lengthwise of the leaf 9. The grooves in the upper and lower bearing plates 19 and 21 form guide-ways for the ball 20, so that as the spring lexes the ball will make -a rolling contact with the bearing plates. The endwalls of the grooves form stops for the travel of the ball and limit the permissive vlong;itudinai movement` of "the upper leaf ofA the' springs. In torsional movements, the leaf 9 carries the bearing member 21, with it, tending to rotate the same about the ball 20, but the assembly of 'the connection is-maintainedby the upward. pressure exerted by thebearmg member 22,

and the spring 23. .The upper surface of the bearing 22, is spherical so that it presents only a very limited area of contact f with .the -lower surface of the leaf 9, ywhichreduces friction and minimizes wear.

As in the pivotal connection at the opposite end of the spring, Wear between bearings 19 and. f 21, is'compens'ated for by the spring-pressed bearing member 22, which acts to maintain the elements of the connection4 in Contact,

i. and with a force which can be adjusted.

The opening in the terminal castings 1rV and 17 ,which receives the ends of the spring,

may be packedwith lubricant after the end connection is assembled; and a leather ,or

other iiexible covering (gaiter') 24J maybe provided to lit around the flaring inner end of the castings and to also encircle the spring It has intersecting to retain theflubricant. Such an arrangement is indicated in Fig. 2.

lfVhat I claim is: U

. 1. End connections for securing a spring to the frame of a vehicle comprising ball members mounted on the ends-of the spring andsocket hearings therefor mounted on thc frame, the socket bearing at one end of the spring being. rigidly fixed to the frame to prevent lateral movement of the end of the spring' in any. horizontal plane but permit. v

ting torsional movement thereof Without imposing any stress upon the. frame.

2; Attaching means for connecting one end of a spring to the vehicle frame in order to secure the spring at this end against ino'- tion of translation with regard to the frame, but to permit pivotal movements 'of the spring. in all directions, consisting of a ballv to a vehicle frame consisting ofva ball and socket joint, the ball being mounted in the end .of the spring, and the socket rigidly fixed inthe vehicle Jfrarne,=the sai socket comprising oppositely disposed bearings fOr,

the ball which partly surround the saine, one

of the bearings being fixed while the other ismovable and is pressed into Contact with the ball by yielding adjustable means.

4. An end connection for securingaspring to a vehicle frame consisting of aball and socket joint, the ball being mounted in the end ot the spring'. and the socket rigidly fixed in the vehicle frame, the scsi-ret comprising oppositely disposed bearings for the ball which partly surround. the same, 'one of the bearings being fixed, while the other` is adjustably movable so as to engage the ball withy varying degrees of contact `pressure. I

5. An end connection for attaching a- .spring to a vvehicle which permits pivotal movement of thespring about the connection but prevents any motion voi. translation by the spring, comprising ahardened 'steel ball secured on the end of the spring, a bearing member rigidly carried by the ve- 'fhicle frameV which partially embraces the ball and retains the same against d1splace ment relative theretoa nd yielding sup orting means for holding the ball its earing'.

l. 6. Attaching means for securing one end' of a spring to a vehicle, comprising a. ve' hicle frame element and a hollow astmg seourefl at one encl of said element to form a housing for the attaching means, a leaf springV element lim/ing one end extending into the housing7 lnfl a hardened steel ball solidly mounted in the end of the Spring element with portions of the surface of the ball `extending above and below the eaf, socket bearings for the vball arranged on opposite sides of thel leaf .andretained in vertical recesses in the housing, the upper' bearing being fixed in the `-eosti2ngi the lower bearing being spring supported and means for adjusting;- tli'econtact pressureV between the ball :ind its bearings.

7. Attaeliingr, moans for securing one end of aspiring to a veliile, comprising' e; ve liiele frame element and a hollow casting secured et one end of said element to form e housing lfor the' attaching means, a leaf spring element 'having one' ond extending, into the housing, and a harlened sel bell 'solidly mounted in the endet the-,spring element with portions'ot the surface of the ball extending above and below the leaf,

socket bearings for the bell. arranged 0n opposite sides of the leatend retained inv vertical recesses in `the housing, the. upper bearing from the :iter-Ising to facilitate the usseiribiy/and diconnection of the spring ettacliini means.

8. An enel connection for a spring to a. vehicle frame consisting of a ball-mid socket joint., andan enclosing housing; for'thejoint: rigidly associated with the end of e vehicle frame element,V the-bail of .tlie joint bein solidly tixefl in tliespring; ami near one ,en thereof, while the socket is mounted in the housingr carried by the v eliicle frame and comprises upper and lower bearings which 'partly surround the ball, one of the seid 'hearings being yieldingly supported to compensate for wear of the liearingvsuraoes,

While the other bearing is rigirily supported by the housing.

. v AXEL W. KGSTROM. 

